We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.
Ron Mueck / England b.1958 / In bed 2005 / Mixed media / 161.9 x 649.9 x 395cm / Purchased 2008. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Ron Mueck
Ron MueckIn bed 2005
Not Currently on Display
The monumentally scaled, middle-aged subject of In bed sits with her knees drawn up beneath the bedclothes; only her head and arms are exposed. Posed in a reclining position and with her eyes at 150cm high, viewers are given the ideal vantage point from which to study her expression and to ponder what she’s thinking.
She is stripped of any context that might suggest the events that have led to her present situation, yet we have a clear impression of her mental state. With her hand partially covering her mouth and her upwards gaze focusing on nothing in particular, her slumped posture, slightly furrowed brow and countless other nuanced details are masterfully orchestrated to sharply convey the subject’s ponderous and moderately troubled state of mind.
The natural appearance and monumental scale of the sculpture initially shocks us, while her mundanity helps us to identify with what is taking place. We recognise ourselves frozen in similar moments of solitary introspection.
Australian-born, London-based sculptor Ron Mueck’s sculptures are some of the most widely acclaimed and identifiable works in the international contemporary art arena. His figures are often naked and suspended in states of self-consciousness, introspection or deep contemplation.
Ron Mueck spent his early career working as a puppet maker before he was discovered by British advertising guru Charles Saatchi. Mueck’s artistic career began to flourish in the mid-1990s, and after participating in the 2001 Venice Biennale, where his work Boy 2000 was a talking point, Mueck was appointed Associate Artist at the National Gallery, London (2000–01), and made a series of works that showed his particular interest in representations of the mother and child, including Pregnant woman 2002.
Discussion Questions
1. The woman in this artwork appears to be lost in her own world. What do you think she is thinking about? Do you ever get lost in your own world? Where do your thoughts drift?
2. Why do you think the artist has made this sculpture of a woman larger than life?
Classroom Activities
1. Why do you think the woman is in bed? Write a short story you could include in a classroom book.
2. Research some of the ways in which Ron Mueck makes his works look realistic. List the processes, materials and techniques involved.